What's it all about?

    Team Yakima is a developmental Junior Olympic volleyball program for girls in the Yakima Valley region of central Washington state and has been in existence since 1977.  Our club contains teams of various age and skill levels that strive to be competitive at the local, regional and national level.  Our goal is to provide a program atmosphere that promotes excellence in all areas: excellence in administration, organization and coaching; excellence in individual and team athletic achievement; excellence in serving the needs of our athletes; and excellence in the classroom and in life off the court.  Click here to read more about Team Yakima.

How are teams selected?

    Teams are selected through an open tryout process.  Tryouts are a two-day event held annually on the weekend following completion of the high school volleyball playoffs in November.  Following the tryout evaluation each player is placed on the team most appropriate for that player's further development.  Click here to see this season's teams.

How often do teams practice and compete?

    Most teams practice  two nights each week with a typical practice lasting 2 hours.  Some teams have occasional additional practices on weekend days, especially early in the season to establish team offense and defense systems.

    Frequency of competition varies from team to team depending on age and skill level.  Most teams compete in an average of two tournaments per month from January through April.  Tournaments are typically day-long events with some tournaments being two-day (or longer) duration. 

What does it cost?

    Each player pays an initiation fee followed by monthly dues.  The initiation fee covers USAV registration & membership, insurance, and practices prior to Jan 1st, when monthly dues begin.  The dues vary by team; they cover facility rental for practices, volleyballs & equipment, tournament entry fees and miscellaneous expenses.  Players also have a one-time cost for their Team Yakima sweats and team travel bag.  Players are responsible for purchase of the competition shorts selected by their team.  Players pay their own actual travel expenses.  All club expenses are established on a non-profit basis.  Financial assistance is available on a limited basis for players in need of help.  For detailed costs and more information, contact Bari Johnson.

What about fund raisers?

    Team Yakima has a major club-wide fund raiser known as the Yearbook project.  Players sell advertising space in an annual high-quality yearbook.  The proceeds flow directly to the players proportional to their effort.  This project annually raises thousands of dollars for our players.  It is possible for a motivated player to finance her entire season through this fund raiser!  

   On a team-by-team basis, players and parents may participate in other fund raiser activities if they wish.